Post-40 health habits can age, just like our bodies and routines

At 40, our bodies are changing. Many women feel like they are always rushed to catch up. Our metabolisms slow down and we have to work harder to stay fit.

Alas, there is news to indicate that we don't have to be as vigilant about all of these changes and the way we deal with aging bodies. In this video clip, we learn which habits do not require as much diligence as previously thought:



By 40, some of our healthy routines should be changed to accommodate a changing lifestyle. Our work, careers, families, and children have all "aged". Our daily habits have changed, and we can adjust our health accordingly.

Here are some ways we can slightly alter our healthy routines to adjust to our varied lifestyles:

Exercise in spurts. If we don't have time to do our cardio, strength-training and stretching all at once, then break them up. Do your Cardio first, in the morning, to energize your day and get the blood pumping. Stretch at lunch-time, especially if you have been cramped behind a desk for hours. Then strength-train with weights as soon as you get home, to clear your mind and prepare you for the evening (if you dive into house chores and cooking then you might skip the weights).

Mix our sleep times. We might not be able to get 8 hours of sleep all at one time. First, know that your body might only need 5-7 hours of good-quality sleep each night. So, take some pressure off yourself if you think you must get 8 hours. Next, take cat-naps and "power-naps" when you can. Use the weekends and car-rides to catch a few. But focus on getting sleep that is good-quality (versus quantity)

Video Game health hazards: is your child at risk?

Parents, is your child's obsession with video games hurting their health?
Watch this video to see what happened to a child whose gaming habit hurt him:



Even if your kid is on vacation, even if you can see any justifiable reason to let them have a video game binge, consider making your child agree to a few health rules before they settle in to their games:
** They must agree to get outside to play for an hour or more before they play indoors
** For every two hours of indoor games, they must spend at least 30 minutes outdoors
* They must sip water during their gaming (this is better than soda or other extra-calorie drinks, plus it makes them move because they must need to go to the bathroom)
* They must maintain their schedule of healthy meals with their family
* They cannot snack on chips or candy while they play video games
* They must obey their regular sleep schedule
* Reading should accompany regular gaming: at least one hour of reading per hour of gaming is recommended

Of course, these guidelines apply to vacation times or weekends. During the school-week and in the evenings, gaming time should be minimized. Outdoor play, sports, homework, time with friends and family, meals, sleep, reading, and cultural arts should be their top priorities, which...don't leave time for video games.

Pain and Injury Recovery: Rest is important

When you are in pain, or recovering from an injury, your sleep is compromised. Your body uses your energy for healing, and it becomes critical that you get good-quality sleep.

Read more to understand the role of rest in pain relief and injury recovery:
http://ezinearticles.com/?Why-Rest-is-an-Important-Part-of-Pain-Relief-and-Injury-Recovery&id=1581772

If you are currently recovering from pain or injury, you should focus to ensure that you get sound sleep and rest.

Aromatherapy for your dreams?

New research links smells to dreams. We can study this one step further by applying aromatherapy to dreaming. Why not choose scents intentionally to influence our dreams?

What do you think?


Dreams can be powerful. Sleep is important: good sleep is even more important.

Pain affects Sleep

Pain causes Sleep problems.

Acute and chronic pain are directly linked to problems with sleep. When one's body is in pain, your body uses its energy to heal whatever is causing the pain. And this shift in physical processes can lead to sleep disturbance.

People in pain report having difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep,

sleeping fewer hours, and waking up at night.

Dr. James C. O'Brien MD, FCCP, became involved in sleep medicine 12 years ago when he began to notice that many of his patients, with undiagnosed sleep disorders, were not responding to conventional medical treatments. When sleep disorders were diagnosed and treated, a patient's condition improved, and they reported a new sense of well-being. Dr. O'Brien discusses some of the physical changes that our bodies feel when we are in pain, and how it impacts sleep. He was interviewed for Medical News Today about the affects of pain on sleep. He shared how pain can affect the body's ability to "shut down".

When someone is in pain, their hormones shift. Adrenalin, our body's hormonal response to pain, can be in "overdrive" mode. When we have extra adrenalin surging, it is difficult to relax and prepare for sleep. "Pain is clearly the nemesis of getting good sleep", says Dr. O'Brien.

Differentiating acute pain (due to a recent injury or muscle strain) from chronic pain (long-term symptoms like arthritis pain, even when injury has healed) can help sleep treatment. Acute and chronic pain can influence sleep differently, so they may require different treatment.

Dr. Ellen Miller describes how medications can further complicate sleep problems. The medications have ingredients that stimulate the body and the nervous system. Some include caffeine, which stimulates the nervous system and inhibits sleep.

Medications may also have irritating side effects. So, then sleep can be disturbed due to the initial pain and due to medications' side effects.

If you have difficulty sleeping, or if you have pain which may affect your sleep, here are some of the experts' most common tips for improving sleep quality:

*Avoid caffeine late in the day
*Exercise early in the day
*Avoid drinking too much liquid in the evening
(author's note: hydrate early in the day, because dehydration can increase pain symptoms and inhibit sleep)
*Minimize alcohol consumption, especially in the evening
*Avoid spending time in bed except for sleep time
*Practice meditation and relaxation methods
*Establish an "unwinding ritual" around bed-time
*Go to sleep at the same time each night
*Awake at the same time each day, even if you did not get a good night's sleep

Basically, Prevention and lifestyle habits are key to a good night's sleep. And understanding the connections between pain and sleep can help treat problems with both!

For more info, visit http://www.painfreeu.com/

Stressed Out and Multi-Tasking

We're a nation of multi-taskers. Always on the go. Always on alert. Using modern conveniences and technology to squeeeze as much into our days as possible.

ABC shows us just how prevalent this mindset is in the American lifestyle:



How does this lifestyle take a toll on our health?

Stress contributes to pain and disease. Research on stress has conclusively demonstrated that feeling highly stressed increases pain levels, blood pressure, and disease risk. Stress contributes to fatigue, zapping our energy and mood. Stress decreases our sleep, quality and quantity.

Can there be...

Good News about Stress?

Actually, there are stresses that help our bodies. "Good stress" is known as eustress. Physical activity is the type of stress that benefits our health the most. Physical activity includes sports, exercise, recreation and active hobbies.

Physical activity lowers blood pressure, reduces pain and muscle tension, and prevents disease. It improves energy, metabolism, mood and sleep.

Other stressful activities that may be good for us include social events such as weddings and reunions, volunteering for charity functions and local organizations, fun times like festivals and concerts, and major milestones like new babies in the family.

To reduce stress, pain and tension in your life:
*Exercise Regularly
*Eat Nutritious foods
*Practice Spiritual fulfillment
*Meditate and Breathe slowly
*Improve your Sleep habits
*Drink plenty of pure Water

...and minimize your drive to be multi-tasking.

Greet each day with exhuberance and make more time to ...Breathe!